Over 100 Vietnamese and Lao delegates attended the third Vietnamese-Lao
People’s Friendship Festival, which opened in Hanoi on July 16.
At the 6-day festival’s opening ceremony, the Vietnam-Laos Friendship
Association’s President Vu Trong Kim welcomed the Lao delegates to the
festival, as both countries are celebrating the 50 th anniversary of
diplomatic ties and the 35 th anniversary of the Vietnam-Laos
Friendship and Cooperation Treaty.
Vietnam and Laos
enjoy a time-honoured traditional friendship originally fostered by
President Ho Chi Minh and President Kaysone Phomvihane, said Kim, adding
that bolstering this special traditional and relationship is a
responsibility for the Party committees, authorities, organisations and
people in both countries.
He said that the third
festival is an opportunity for both countries to discuss the success of
friendship activities in localities across both countries as well as
agree on measures to further enhance Vietnamese- Lao cooperation, to
raise their relationship to a new level.
The President
of the Laos-Vietnam Friendship Association, Phankham Viphavan, who is
also a Politburo member of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and
Laos Minister of Education and Sports, said Laos-Vietnam special
friendship is a valuable treasure and safeguards the existence of both
countries, which is a rare occurrence in global international relations.
He said that Laos will do its best to educate all
its people, especially the younger generations, about the traditional
friendship and special solidarity and fine relationship between the two
Parties and nations.
On the same day, Lao delegates visited the northern province of Ninh Binh.
They are also scheduled to attend a celebratory meeting to mark the 50
th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the 35 th anniversary of the
Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Cooperation Treaty.
Later
they will visit the Tan Trao historical revolutionary site in Son Duong
district and similar localities in Tuyen Quang province.-VNA